Truck accident statistics for Yakima County, Washington (2020-2024)

Truck accident deaths in Yakima County by year

Truck accident deaths rose from 9 in 2020 to 11 in 2021, then fell to 7 in 2022, 4 in 2023 and 3 in 2024. The highest count was in 2021, and the lowest was in 2024. The 2024 count was 6 deaths lower than the 2020 count.^{[1][2][3][4][5]}

All traffic deaths followed the sequence 42, 58, 54, 47 and 35 from 2020 through 2024. Truck accident deaths represented 21.4% of traffic deaths in 2020, 19.0% in 2021, 13.0% in 2022, 8.5% in 2023 and 8.6% in 2024. Although the truck accident death count fell from 2023 to 2024, its share of all traffic deaths rose.^{[1][2][3][4][5]}

Deaths within 30 days in crashes on public roads. 2024 figures come from the FARS Annual Report File and can be revised.

Who died in Yakima County truck accidents

People in the large truck accounted for 3 deaths, or 8.8%. People in other vehicles accounted for 26 deaths, or 76.5%, the largest person category. These categories describe the people killed in truck accidents, rather than the number of vehicles involved.^{[1][2][3][4][5][7]}

The row "Pedestrians, bicyclists and other people outside vehicles" records 5 deaths, or 14.7%. This is the FARS nonoccupant grouping, which includes pedestrians, pedalcyclists and other or unknown nonoccupants. The other category can include occupants of motor vehicles not in transport, such as parked vehicles; the label is not a literal test of whether someone was outside a vehicle.^{[1][2][3][4][5][7]}

The trucks involved

The truck accident vehicle tally records 31 large trucks in fatal crashes during 2020 through 2024. Truck-tractors (semi or tractor-trailer units) accounted for 17 trucks, or 54.8% of the large trucks recorded. Single-unit and other large trucks accounted for 14 trucks. The count of large trucks recorded as jackknifed was 0.^{[1][2][3][4][5][8][7]}

Each figure in the trucks table counts vehicles. A fatal crash can involve multiple large trucks, so these figures are distinct from the county's 29 fatal crashes and 34 deaths. The truck-tractor share describes trucks, not people killed.^{[1][2][3][4][5][8][7]}

Counts are trucks, not crashes. One crash can involve more than one large truck.

How the fatal truck crashes happened

Manner of collision describes the first harmful event. Angle (side impact) accounted for 16 deaths (47.1%), head-on for 8 (23.5%), rear-end for 2 (5.9%) and sideswipe for 1 (2.9%). "Not a collision with another moving vehicle" accounted for 7 deaths (20.6%). That row means no collision with a motor vehicle in transport, including events such as striking a parked vehicle or a rollover. A vehicle in transport can be stopped in traffic.^{[1][2][3][4][5][7]}

Separately, truck accident deaths by crash configuration were single-vehicle: 4 (11.8%); two-vehicle: 25 (73.5%); and three or more vehicles: 5 (14.7%). These shares group deaths by vehicle count, distinct from the manner-of-collision rows.^{[1][2][3][4][5][7]}

Interstates, time of day and setting

Interstate-coded truck accident deaths numbered 5, or 14.7%, with I-82 listed at 5 deaths. These figures require an interstate route classification and a parseable interstate route number. The listed route is a route-coded subset, not a full road network.^{[1][2][3][4][5][7]}

Daytime, from 6 a.m. to 5:59 p.m., accounted for 23 deaths (67.6%). Nighttime, from 6 p.m. to 5:59 a.m., accounted for 11 (32.4%). The urban classification recorded 8 deaths (23.5%), and the rural classification recorded 26 (76.5%). Work-zone records accounted for 1 death. These are death counts, rather than counts of trucks or crashes.^{[1][2][3][4][5][7]}

Truck accident death rate compared with Washington and the United States

Yakima County's truck accident death rate was 2.6 average annual deaths per 100,000 residents for 2020 through 2024. Washington's rate was 1.0, and the national rate was 1.6. The county rate was higher than both. These rates use deaths divided by the sum of annual Census population estimates and do not adjust for miles driven or visitors.^{[1][2][3][4][5][6]}

Among the listed neighboring counties, King County's rate was 0.6, Pierce County's was 0.8 and Grant County's was 6.3. Yakima County's rate was higher than King County's and Pierce County's and lower than Grant County's. For readers searching for a truck accident lawyer, the geographic grouping here is crash location, not where the people killed lived.^{[1][2][3][4][5][6]}

Rates divide deaths by the sum of annual Census population estimates, so they show deaths per 100,000 residents per year. They do not adjust for miles driven or for visitors.

About these figures

FARS is NHTSA's census of fatal motor vehicle traffic crashes. Inclusion requires a motor vehicle traveling on a trafficway customarily open to the public and an occupant or nonoccupant death within 30 days. Counts use the county of the crash, not the person's home county. Nonfatal crashes and injuries are excluded.^[9][6][7][8]

The 2020 through 2023 figures use FARS Final Files. The 2024 Annual Report File can change when replaced by the Final File. Rates divide 2020 through 2024 deaths by the summed annual Census Bureau population estimates from Vintage 2025, then multiply by 100,000. The separately shown July 1, 2024 population estimate is not the denominator. Rates do not adjust for miles driven or visitors.^[9][6][7][8]

See also

• Truck accident statistics for Pierce County, Washington (2020-2024)
• Truck accident statistics for Grant County, Washington (2020-2024)
• Truck accident statistics for King County, Washington (2020-2024)

On related publications

• Car accident statistics for Yakima County, Washington (2020-2024) (caraccidentlawyers.wiki)